This invention pertains generally to the field of accessories used with air conditioning equipment and particularly to products which cover or seal air conditioning sleeves.
Many room air conditioning units are mounted in openings in the outer walls of buildings referred to as air conditioning sleeves. When these air conditioning units are replaced a person simply slides the old unit out of the sleeve and slides the new unit back in. Where an air conditioning unit is absent from the sleeve the opening to the sleeve can be sealed in many ways. Typically the opening is closed off by fitting a metal cap over the ends of the sleeve on the interior and exterior sides of the sleeve.
In colder climates, the through the wall air conditioning units are often a major source of heat loss from a building structure during the cold winter months. Air conditioner units are not air tight and can allow cold outside air to migrate into the interior. Cold air can also blow through the gap between the sleeve interior and the ac unit resulting in a colder apartment and a loss of energy due to greater use of the heating equipment in the building. Even with the use of weatherization products such as caulk or foam strips air leakage gaps can still exist and no matter what material is used around the ac unit there is still heat loss that exists through the air conditioner itself. Apartment tenants have used pillows, roll plastic, garbage bags with duct tape, and material air conditioning covers that do very little to combat the heat loss problem. There are often air leeks with other products because the seal between the products used and the sleeve are generally not air-tight or air-sealed.